3 He also took his men and their families, and they settled in the towns round Hebron.
4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron and anointed David as king of Judah.When David heard that the people of Jabesh in Gilead had buried Saul,
5 he sent some men there with the message: “May the Lord bless you for showing your loyalty to your king by burying him.
6 And now may the Lord be kind and faithful to you. I too will treat you well because of what you have done.
7 Be strong and brave! Saul your king is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me as their king.”
8 The commander of Saul's army, Abner son of Ner, had fled with Saul's son Ishbosheth across the Jordan to Mahanaim.
9 There Abner made Ishbosheth king of the territories of Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, and indeed over all Israel.